NUIM Barnhall Tops 'Your Club Your Country' Chart

The IRFU is delighted to confirm the top selling Your Club Your Country clubs for 2013 in each of the four provinces.

The top selling Your Club Your Country clubs for 2013 in each of the four provinces are:

• NUIM Barnhall (Leinster - 1,000 tickets sold raising €10,000)

• Galwegians (Connacht - 883 tickets sold raising €8,830)

• UL Bohemians (Munster - 787 tickets soldraising €7,870)

• Cavan RFC (Ulster - 776 tickets sold raising €7,760)

Fundraising has topped almost €2million since the introduction of Your Club Your Country in 2011,with the 2013 draw raising an average of €3,080 per club.

This year 39 clubs sold over half their tickets, including 20 which sold over 700 tickets each, raising in excess of €7,000 for their club.

Top Selling Clubs 2013

Connacht

Leinster

Munster

Ulster

Galwegians

NUIM Barnhall

UL Bohemians

Cavan

Sligo

Wanderers

Dolphin

Instonians

Ballinrobe

Ratoath

Cork Constitution

Portadown

Carrick-On-Shannon

Clontarf

Clonmel

Limavady

Oughterard

Naas

Cashel

Belfast Harlequins

IRFU President Pat Fitzgerald said: "We all know how hard pressed families have been in recent years so it is fantastic to see people continue to support their local rugby club.

The Your Club Your Country initiative has been a great success and allows clubs to raise up to €10,000 each year, at no cost to the club,and reinvest the entire amount back into their club.

This year a special mention must go out to the great work done by NUIM Barnhall who sold all 1,000 tickets, but I want to congratulate and thank everyone for getting behind this fundraising initiative and also thank everyone who purchased a ticket and by doing so helped to invest in the future of our grassroots game, which is the bedrock of rugby in Ireland.

We are also very grateful to our community rugby partner Ulster Bank, and all the other sponsors, who donate an amazing array of prizes each year to ensure that the Your Club Your Country draw is not only a great fundraising initiative it is packed with great prizes too."

Looking forward to facing England on Sunday, Ireland winger Tommy Bowe said: "We've trained very well this week, we're really excited about the game. It's about going out there and doing whatever we can to get ourselves that win."

Second row Devin Toner previews Ireland's crunch RBS 6 Nations clash with England, saying: "It's a pretty formidable English pack. Attwood and Kruis have played fantastically well. They're well drilled and focused and their scrum and lineout are very good."

Looking forward to facing England this weekend, Ireland back rower Sean O'Brien said: "It's obviously exciting, but it's one game at a time. I don't think there's any more pressure on us than in the first two games. That's the way you have to look at it."

Irish Rugby TV sat down with Ireland Under-20 scrum coach John Fogarty to talk about the U-20 Six Nations so far and Friday's clash with England at Donnybrook. Tickets are on sale on www.ticketmaster.ie.

Shane Byrne and Malcolm O'Kelly preview the Ireland v England Legends match which takes place at Donnybrook this coming Saturday (kick-off 7.30pm). Tickets are available from www.ticketmaster.ie. All proceeds from the game will go to support the IRFU Charitable Trust and the RFU All Schools Charity.

Watch highlights from the Ireland team announcement press conference as Joe Schmidt reveals the team to play France. Peter O'Mahony says it is good to 'have some big figures back' for Saturday's clash.